


Shatterpoint

by litra



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Blanket Permission, Gen, Shatterpoints, and Mace noticed, idk - Freeform, initiate test, shrug, slight AU, this idea wanted to be written, what if Anakin could see shaterpoints
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-11-06 23:30:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17949239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/litra/pseuds/litra
Summary: Anakin glanced at the counselors, his eyes tracing their way around the room, before darting up over Mace's head. It wasn't the first time Mace had caught him looking up there. It was possibly just a habit or a trick the boy had worked out to help him access the force, but the cloud of lightning and stardust hovering over all of them made Mace wonder.





	Shatterpoint

Anakin glanced at the counselors, his eyes tracing their way around the room, before darting up over Mace's head. It wasn't the first time Mace had caught him looking up there. It was possibly just a habit or a trick the boy had worked out to help him access the force, but the cloud of lightning and stardust hovering over all of them made Mace wonder. 

"Fear I sense in you," Master Yoda said. 

They could all sense it, but Mace wasn't so sure it was the ominous portent that Master Yoda hinted it was. He was a nine year old boy, and one without the benefit of an initiate's training to help him manage his emotions. Being dragged up in front of a group of the most powerful people in the galaxy, and knowing full well that they controlled his fate, would scare anyone.

The boy ducked his head at Yoda's words-- No. Yoda had spoken, then there had been a flash of agreement around the council circle. The shatterpoint above them had matched the emotion. Only then had the boy ducked. Mace had trained himself not to flinch or otherwise react to the shatterpoints he saw, but it had been a long time coming.

Yoda was looking around the room, waiting for one of the others to call for a vote. Instead of meeting Yoda's eye, Mace reached for his datapad.

It was hard to capture force events on video. You needed a special kind of camera and film, and even then the results were still only visible to the force sensitive. Normally it wasn't worth it. When he had been a padawan Mace had made the effort. He had scoured the archives, and the net, looking for any trace of a shatterpoint in order to help practice with his talent. He still had the videos,  tucked away on his private server. Picking one at random, he muted the video and offered the pad to the boy.

"I want you to tell me what you see in as much detail as possible."

The other masters glanced at him, but the boy had already gone through several tests. He didn't hesitate. 

"You muted it."

Mace nodded, "I did."

The boy frowned but looked back at the tablet. "There's a man, I don't know who he is.  He's talking, and there are two others behind him, a Rodian, and a woman. The woman touched his arm. Now he stopped. There's a light in his hands. The Rodian is saying something. The man looks angry, but like he's holding it in. The woman is stepping back. The Rodian is touching the man's shoulder. He's still angry. The glowing is all over him now. He doesn't look good--" Anakin flinched, closing his eyes as he turned away. When he looked back he frowned. "That's the end of the clip.

Mace nodded, "What about at the end?"

"There was a flash of light, it looked like an afterburner explosion, but I didn't see any ships around them." He looked down at the tablet, then up at Mace, "Should I watch it again?"

"No, that's fine." Mace took the tablet back. The whole room was watching him at that point, waiting for his conclusion. "What you saw on the video is called a shatterpoint. There's one in this room right now. They appear when large choices are made, things that will affect a person's future." He gestured up at the ceiling where the lightning was still playing between everyone present. 

"And that one's about me?"

MAce lifted a hand and let it fall. In truth he was sure it was, but he didn't want to let on about it. HAving a shatterpoint that large centered around one person and one choice... it was the first time he'd seen anything like it. 

"Seeing them in a rare gift. Only myself and four other living Jedi are known to have it." Mace went on as if it didn't concern him.

Qui-gon squeezed the boys shoulders, "All the more reason he should be trained." This time his words met with hints of approval. opinion swaying back in his favor.

Mace leaned forward, elbows on his knees, head resting on his clasped hands. "I remember when I was learning to see shatterpoints. It was very confusing, frightening even though I knew what they were. Have you been able to see them for long?"

The boy shrugged, "a little while. I wasn't keeping track."

"But they're getting stronger aren't they?"

The boy nodded.

"Propose what, do you?" Yoda asked, his ears down and his eyes narrow.

There were times Mace hated being the head of the order, but there were other times when He was quite willing to use that authority ruthlessly. He looked up at the shatterpoint. Anakin wasn't hiding his glances now that he'd been called out. The idea of letting a child with his same tallent disappear into the ether didn't sit well with him. Qui-gon had clearly acted without a plan, certainly without a backup. Trusting in the force was all well and good, but preparedness played a roll as well. He needed more time, more information.

Mace settled on his course. Above them the shatterpoint flared. He closed his eyes as a bolt hit him, blinding him momentarily even though to his other senses it only felt like a gust of warm air.  HE wasn't the only one the shatterpoint had touched. The force drew his attention to Yoda, Qui-gon, and the boy himself. Obi-wan as well, though Mace couldn't yes guess why. 

He took a breath to center himself and started down his chosen path.

"I propose that we not act in haste." He settled back in his chair, "Whether or not any individual believes in this prophecy, we've all heard stories of how trying to avoid such a fate could bring it about. This boy coming before us at the same time as we learn of a possible Sith has clouded the issue I think."

"A trial period then?" Plo suggested.  

Mace was glad someone else had put the idea out there. "Yes. He's only nine. He has plenty of time to learn and take the initiate trials in the next few years."

Yoda hrumfed. Mace glanced in his direction, and nodded. Yoda had enough of a following that they would need to be appeased. no matter how small the issue, and this wasn't as small as he was making it.

"In the meantime he will have weekly classes with myself or another approved master in order to smooth out the gaps in his knowledge and manage his emotions. Yoda, may I ask for your help in this?"

Yoda hummed, hands on his gimmer stick, but his ears flicked his assent.

Mace sent a silent question through the gathered council members, waiting for objections or counteroffers. Yoda was still unhappy but he didn't outright object, and the rest of the counselors seemed content with the decision.

Mace turned back to Qui-gon, "Do you have anything to add to your report?"

"Nothing more."

"Then I trust you will see the boy to the creche. And perhaps don't mention the prophecy while you're there." He made sure Qui-gon was meeting his eyes when he nodded. Mace waved them towards the door, looking down at his pad for the next item on the agenda.

In the years to come Mace would wonder if Yoda had been right. If Naboo would have gone differently, if he had made a different choice. If Anakin should have been cast out, or trained by someone else. He never spoke of it, but his meditations centered on the topic more often then he liked. The force had given its warning, and as always it was up to the Jedi to interpret it. 

It was a wonder how wrong they could be at times.

 

 


End file.
